Severed Ties
by NothingProfound
Summary: After Simon breaks up with Elizabeth, Rodney offers some surprising comfort and shares a little bit of himself in the process.


**Title: Severed Ties  
****Summary: Rodney offers some surprising comfort to Elizabeth after Simon breaks up with her and shares a little bit of himself as well.  
****Genre: Drama, Angst  
****Pairing: Rodney/Elizabeth friendship/romance  
****Rating: PG  
****Season: 2, during Intruder  
****Spoiler: Rising part 1 & 2, Intruder, Home, Letters from Pegasus**

**Author's Note: I intended to write something Elizabeth-centered about her reaction to her break up with Simon and have Rodney comfort her. But, darn him, Rodney took over. I'm serious. It wasn't my fault!

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Rodney McKay entered the Daedalus' commissary with one thing on his mind. _Make that two_, he thought. _Food and coffee._ He didn't notice the other two occupants of the room until he had his prizes in hand.

Elizabeth Weir and John Sheppard were sitting at the center table, both apparently deep in their own thoughts. Rodney silently debated whether he should interrupt, sit at another table, or just take his midnight snack back to his quarters. Sheppard stirred from his meditation, making up Rodney's mind for him.

"Well, I'm going to go try and get a few hours of sleep. 'Night, Elizabeth," Sheppard said.

"Goodnight, John," Elizabeth said absently, still deep in thought.

The newly-promoted lieutenant colonel turned to Rodney. "Nice snack," Sheppard said. "G'Night, Rodney."

"Major," Rodney said. Sheppard didn't bother correcting him.

Once he was gone, Elizabeth looked up at Rodney and smiled slightly. "Rodney. What are you doing up?" she asked.

"I was hungry," he said with a shrug.

She smiled again. "Sit down," she offered. "I could use the company."

Rodney settled in the chair opposite her and started in on his food. "What were you two talking about?" he asked through a mouthful.

Elizabeth shrugged, still pensive. "Just the last few days."

"They have been a bit hectic, haven't they?" Rodney said. After a few minutes where she sat and stared in his general direction, Rodney spoke up. "I never considered watching me eat a hobby. Are you alright?" he asked.

Elizabeth smiled at him, but it didn't reach her green eyes. "I'm fine," she said, dropping her gaze.

"I don't consider myself very adept at reading people, but you don't seem fine. Not that it's any of my business. Just a concerned friend…we are friends, aren't we, Elizabeth?" Rodney asked, suddenly uncertain.

This time Elizabeth's smile lit her eyes. "Of course, we are, Rodney. In fact, I never told you this, but I consider you my best friend."

Rodney couldn't help the grin that spread across his crooked lips. "Really?" he asked, elated. He couldn't remember the last time he had a best friend or if he had ever had one. He wondered if she understood how much that simple statement meant to him.

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Yes, Rodney."

"Well, I, uh…" he faltered a little. Regaining his composure, he smiled and stated confidently, "Likewise, Elizabeth."

She returned his smile fondly, before the expression faded into a quiet sadness that gripped Rodney's heart. "'Lizabeth?" he asked hesitantly. "What is it?"

She looked up at him through her eyelashes and for a minute Rodney thought she was going to tell him. Instead, she changed the subject. "How did you enjoy your time on Earth? Did you visit your sister?" she asked.

Rodney blinked at the topic jump and stuttered, "No, uh, I was…um, busy with all those staff meetings and interviews. I didn't…uh, didn't get the chance." The truth was Jeannie didn't even know he had gone anywhere. He hadn't seen his sister in over two years. When they had decided to send the video messages they had recorded during the Wraith's siege of Atlantis, Rodney had removed the message he had recorded for his sister from the final edit.

"Oh, Rodney, I wish you had told me. I would have made sure you had some time out for yourself," she said. As much as he hated being the center of this type of attention, with her focus on worrying about him, some of the inner sadness seemed to fade.

"Wait a minute, how did you know I have a sister?" Rodney asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "I had to review the video recordings before they were sent. Check for breaches of security and all that."

"Oh, of course," Rodney said, flushing slightly at what she must have heard as he had rambled on.

"Samantha Carter?" she questioned.

Rodney coughed, uncomfortable talking about Carter with Elizabeth. "What about you?" he asked, trying to get the conversation off of him. "Did you visit any family?"

"No," Elizabeth said, the sadness returning. "My mother couldn't make it out to Colorado and my father passed away."

"Oh, I'm, uh, sorry," he said because it was something people did. He wasn't sure how much she cared, whether she was sad because she had been close to them or if it was just a general sadness that someone felt when anyone died.

"It's okay. He died years ago. I still miss him sometimes, but it isn't raw anymore," she said with a small smile.

Rodney was mystified. Thinking of his own parents, he tried to imagine how he would feel if they died. All he could come up with was that he would have two less people who ignored him. What kind of person did that make him? He wouldn't miss them. How could you miss someone you didn't know? Or who never cared squat about you? The most attention he ever got from them was when he had built an atomic bomb for his grade 6 science fair project and only because he was questioned by the CIA for six hours. Jeannie would probably miss them.

Elizabeth raised one finely arched eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked.

"I just, uh, just doing calculations in my head," he said as an excuse. The look on Elizabeth's face made it clear she didn't believe him.

"I tell you my father is dead and you do math in your head," she asked, looking amused instead of offended. When Rodney purposefully stuffed his mouth full of food to avoid answering, Elizabeth said, "What about your parents, Rodney? Are they living?"

"Yes, alive is about all they are," he sneered, angry at himself for not feeling as much for them as Elizabeth obviously felt for hers.

She frowned. "That's a little harsh, isn't it?"

"Forgive me for not caring about two people who are little more than one's first employers that don't pay."

Elizabeth actually looked shocked and Rodney felt a little guilty. "Rodney…" she started slowly, making him brace himself for a lecture. "Is that what your parents were like to you?" she asked. Rodney didn't answer. Elizabeth reached across the table and placed her hand over his, startling him. "Not everyone's parents are like that, Rodney," she said gently.

Rodney forced every ounce of bravado he had into his voice. "Well, not everyone is a genius, either, so I think I got the better end of the deal."

Elizabeth looked like she was grieving a lost friend. "I'm sorry that you think that," she said quietly, still holding his hand. "I'm even more sorry that your parents made you think that way."

Rodney shifted uncomfortably and then pulled his hand away. It wasn't that he didn't like the feeling of her hand on his, but he was never comfortable with that sort of public display of affection. There was a long, uncomfortable silence and Rodney retreated to the solace of his midnight snack.

"I don't really know that much about you, do I?" Elizabeth said, breaking the silence.

"Nonsense," Rodney countered. "You know more about me than anyone."

"But what I know has only scratched the surface," she said as if it were the saddest thing she had ever heard. "I suppose I haven't told you all that much about me either."

"I know things about you, Elizabeth. How you like your coffee, your favorite spot on Atlantis…" Rodney trailed off.

"But I haven't taken the time to get to know you that way," she said. "Or to tell you things. It isn't fair of me to expect you to open up to me when I haven't been open with you. I never told you about Simon."

Rodney frowned. "Simon? Who's Simon?"

"He's…He was…important to me."

Rodney stiffened. Important to her? What did that mean? He had always guessed that she must have left someone behind on Earth, but he really didn't like to think about it.

"That's the sort of thing you're supposed to tell your friend, but I didn't and I'm sorry," she continued. Rodney didn't have a clue what to say to that. Elizabeth sighed. "I should get some sleep," she said, standing. "Goodnight, Rodney."

Rodney watched her go for a minute, his usually quick mind sluggish when it came to interpersonal relationships. Something occurred to him, but he wasn't sure if he should say anything. Why should he care? Nobody cared about him and that's the way he liked it. Nobody except Elizabeth. She always listened when it was important to him, shared his enthusiasm when he was excited about something, made sure he was okay after hard missions. She was his best friend and her opinion of him meant everything.

"'Lizabeth, wait!" he called her back. She turned around and looked at him. "Is that what's bothering you? This Simon person?" he asked. It hadn't come out right, but she still looked surprised at his insight. Elizabeth returned to the table. Rodney pressed on before she could say anything. "If you want to…talk or anything? That's what friends do, isn't it?"

To anyone else he might have sounded like he was just doing it to buy her friendship, but Elizabeth understood him better than that. She smiled tenderly. "You're right. Thank you, Rodney. You're a good friend."

Rodney beamed. He couldn't help it. His smile faded quickly, however. "So…?"

Elizabeth considered. "I suppose it would be good to talk about it," she said reluctantly. She smiled slightly. "And it's rare that anyone gets an offer like that from the Great Rodney McKay," she said teasingly.

Rodney didn't try to argue. He had surprised himself. He had no idea what to say, so he said nothing.

"Simon and I…we were involved…romantically. Not quite engaged, but close," Elizabeth started hesitantly. Rodney shifted uncomfortably, but let her continue. "When I left for Atlantis, I left him a video message. I got him clearance, but…I just couldn't tell him in person," she said dejectedly. "What kind of person does that make me?" she asked, unknowingly echoing Rodney's earlier thoughts. "I expected him to wait indefinitely, but…that was unfair. We could have been gone for years. We may not have been able to get back. Not only that, but I expected him to drop everything and come to Atlantis. I surprised him with dinner in his apartment and he told me that not only was he not going with me, but that he had found someone else."

"I haven't had much experience with…relationships," Rodney said uncertainly. "But…If he'd really loved you, don't you think he would have waited?"

"I threw away what we had! I treated him like dirt. Why should he have had to wait?" Elizabeth protested.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Rodney defended her vehemently. "Even me…"

Elizabeth dropped her gaze, her shoulders sagging in defeat.

"'Lizabeth?" Rodney said tentatively.

"I hurt him, Rodney. I was selfish."

"Selfish? Don't be ridiculous! Maybe you had a moment of selfishness when you didn't tell him in person. But you are the least selfish person I know, Elizabeth. This Simon person obviously doesn't understand you. With a chance to go to Atlantis and discover who knows what in another galaxy, how could you give that up? This was the chance of a lifetime. If Simon doesn't understand that, maybe he's not the one you're supposed to be with," Rodney entreated.

Elizabeth started to shake her head.

"Elizabeth," Rodney said with all of the conviction and urgency his voice held when he explained that a Wraith cruiser was on its way or that some scientific fact kept them from rescuing one of their people. "There is someone, out there"—he gestured empathetically toward the swirling cloud of hyperspace outside the window—"who is perfect for you. Someone who will make you happy. And…and appreciate you and see what a wonderful person you are," he said firmly. "You just have to find him."

Elizabeth studied him for a long moment and then smiled sadly. "Or recognize him," she said softly. Her smile grew grateful. "Thank you, Rodney. That means a lot to me." She stood and laid her hand over his again. "You're a good person, Rodney. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise." She gave him a tender smile that made him smile tentatively back. She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight, Rodney," she said.

Rodney stared after her as she left, his fingers straying to his cheek in awe. A slow, somewhat giddy smile turned up his crooked mouth. "Goodnight, Elizabeth."


End file.
